Great Lakes Guide Service

Midwest Living Review

Kim Schneider

Snag some salmon on this fishing charter service, then take it to a partner restaurant to have it cooked for lunch.

Great Lakes Guide Services aim to give passengers a taste of fresh king and Chinook salmon, as well as steelhead (which migrates to the big water of Lake Michigan in the summers). This charter company's record catches were made in subsequent years by an 8-year-old boy and his younger sister, which is a testament to the fact that these Lake Michigan fishing excursions are appropriate for people of all abilities and experience.

For salmon fishing, Captain Kyle Buck and his first mate motor out to wherever the water is 50 degrees, set the boat’s 14 rods and start trolling. When they get a nibble, guests get in on the action, reeling in the catch with help from the captain. Trips are generally five hours, with a choice of early morning or evening trips. Buck also offers pleasure cruises for $100 an hour; as a Muskegon native and a tournament fisherman, he makes a great tour guide. Buck’s been guiding charters for nine years, both on Lake Michigan and on the Muskegon River, sometimes via kayaks.

Through the state's Catch and Cook program, Buck formed the first-in-the-area partnership with the local restaurant Mango's, which will cook charter guest's catch one of six ways.

Trip rates for one or two people range from $300 to $375 and include all equipment. River trips include a tasty grilled lunch on shore.